Ford GT40 Takes Pole for Historic Endurance at the Estoril Classics

Paulo Lima, at the wheel of a Ford GT40, set the fastest time in an action-packed qualifying session for the Iberian Historic Endurance, part of the programme for the 10th edition of the Estoril Classics, determining the grid for tomorrow’s race.

On a spectacular day for motorsport at the Estoril Circuit, more than 45 cars – the largest grid of the event – took to the track, proudly carrying the Liqui Moly logo, the official partner of this weekend’s race, as they lapped one of the world’s most historic motorsport circuits.

Paulo Lima quickly took control at the top of the timing sheets, becoming the first driver to break the two-minute barrier. As grip improved and the drivers found their rhythm, Carlos Barbot and Pedro Matos, sharing the wheel of a Merlyn MK4, also managed to dip into the 1:59s, forcing Paulo Lima to respond.

The response was not long in coming. With 18 minutes on the clock, the Ford GT40 driver improved his time once again to definitively secure pole position with an impressive 1:58.508. Alongside him on the front row will be the small British-built prototype, a former winner of the Estoril 250 km, which completed qualifying with a time of 1:59.548.

The second row will be occupied by Alex Collins’ Ford GT40, third among the GTP&SC competitors, and Laurent Jaspers’ Jaguar E-Type, which established itself as the fastest car in the H-1965 class from the opening minutes of the session.

Renowned Belgian driver Olivier Muytjens took the Shelby Cobra Daytona to fifth overall. The car that won the inaugural edition of the 400 km of Paul Ricard thus confirmed its status as a serious contender for victory in the H-1965 class. Four places further back in the category will be the Porsche 904/6 shared by Thorkild Stamp and Michael Holden.

In the H-1971 class, Rui Garcia was one of the biggest surprises of qualifying. At the wheel of a BMW 2800 CS, he secured seventh place overall, finishing just one tenth of a second ahead of Manuel Domingues in the class. Driving a Ford Escort RS1600, the ASM Team driver was the first to set a competitive lap during the session at the Cascais circuit.

Bruno Duarte and Filipe Jesus secured ninth place overall and the fastest time in the H-1976 class, in a category where all three of the leading cars on the grid are Porsche 911 3.0 RSs. Carlos Brízido and João Pina Cardoso, on the one hand, and the Spanish pairing of Gerardo Garcia and Jose Antonio Zorrilla, on the other, completed the top three in the class.

In the GDS category, Nuno Nunes, driving a Porsche 911 SWB, was the fastest, finishing ahead of João Neves and Francisco Gonçalves in a Datsun 1200, and Rui Bevilacqua and Nuno Veiga in an Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Super. These three smaller-engined cars are also serious contenders for victory in the Index of Performance, with the winner set to receive an exclusive Cuervo y Sobrinos watch as the prize.

The Historic Endurance race, which will bring the programme for the 10th edition of the Estoril Classics to a spectacular close, is scheduled to start at 4:40pm tomorrow and will run for 45 minutes. The race, which includes a mandatory pit stop, can be watched live on the Race Ready YouTube channel.